Beer signs can be community landmarks. Remember the excitement when the Genesee Beer sign in downtown Auburn, N.Y., was put up again and relit after 40 years? Or the fuss when the "R" sign was put back atop the old Rainer Brewery in Seattle?

Well, maybe you don't. But trust me, it was a big deal for those communities.

Now, the original Thirsty Dog Brewing Co. sign that hung above the first brewpub in North Canton has made a comeback. (The brewpubs went out of business long ago, but the production brewery remains.) The circular nine-foot sign that features the iconic Thirsty Dog pooch with a beer mug in its mouth now adorns the brewery's icehouse building in Akron.

The neon sign has been sitting in co-owner John Najeway's barn for the last eight years. Asked why he put it up now, he responded: "I finally had a place to put it." The brewery recently expanded into the adjacent building.

A few years ago, Najeway had plans to put the sign inside the brewery tasting room against one of the walls, but then he stacked barrels there. The sign would have been out of sight so it continued to sit in the barn.

In other Thirsty Dog news, the brewery has signed up with a new distributor that will bring its beer into New York City. Thirsty Dog has been distributed in New York state, but not the city.

The brewery inked the deal with Sarene Craft Beer Distributors, which serves New York City and the metro area. "The biggest GABF trophy case in our portfolio, Thirsty Dog Brewing Company has taken home nine GABF medals since 2000," the distributor said in a news release. "Led by Old Leghumper (Robust Porter), Thirsty Dog’s complex and lengthy portfolio is something we can’t wait to represent."